Means for stopping and controlling ships



Aug. 14, 1951 5 KRONHAUS Zfifififl 115 MEANS FOR STOPPING ANDCONTROLLING SHIPS Filed Jan. 7, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

SEMEN flea/W140:

g- 1951 s. KRONHAUS 64,115

MEANS FOR STOPPING AND CONTROLLING SHIPS Filed Jan. 7, 194'? 5Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR. Swgw flaw 40s A 1951 s. KRONHAUS MEANS FORS OPPING AND CONTROLLING SHIPS 3. Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. '7, 1947INVENTOR. 55/15 flea/144405 desired portion Patented Aug. 14, 1951UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

2,564,1i5 e I MEANS Foe s'roPPINGQNp coNTRoLLINe SHIPS Semen Kronhaus,Los' Aiige'ies, Calif. Application January 7, 1947, l lo. 720,559

2 Claims. (c1."1 1'4 1 45 1 b This invention relates generally to ships,and more particularly to emergency equipment designed for usein avertingor minimizing collision of a ship with an object in its path. H

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel means operableautomatically as the ship approaches an object with which it is indanger of colliding for quickly greatly retarding the motion of theship. 7

It is also anobject to provide means of the type indicated designed toquickly swing the ship around for the purpose of averting collision withan object in the path of the ship but'slightly to one side of the directline of the shipscourse.

It is a further object of the invention to provide manually operablecontrol means whereby the means for retarding the motion of the ship orfor suddenly swinging the ship off course can be selectively operatedfrom the bridge or other of the ship.

It is a further object of the invention to pro vide means of the typeindicated which may be utilized for steering the ship in the event ofloss ordamage to the rudder or other parts of the steering mechanism.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawings and thefollowing description. ..Referring to the drawings, which are forillustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a ship embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a line; 7 V

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the hydraulic and electricalcircuits employed; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a modified form of antenna.

Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral l generally indicates aship on which has diagrammatically been ship is shown provided on eachside with a pair of sea brakes or braking flaps generally indicated bynumeral [2. The area and number of these flaps will depend upon theweight and size of the ship, so that when they are opened, as will laterbe described, they will present suificient resistance to the flow ofwater therepast that they will greatly retard the forward motion of theship.

Each of the flaps I2 which may be in the form of a reinforced platestructure is pivotally mounted on a suitable bracket [4 mounted on theside plan view of the ship at the deck of the ship. In the form of theinvention illustrated, the flaps are provided with lugs I5 which arekeyed to a vertically extending shaft l6 ro tatively supported in thebrackets l4 and 11.

shown a bridge H. The

it is contemplated that in an parts in the for example, the antennanumeral 24 indicates the -tenn'ae may be slidably strip or the like.which,.wh en it it would be side line the ship.

In orderto operate mechanism for moving? flapsfinto braking or extendedposition, the ship is provided with two antennae, or feelers, indi catedbythe numeral 20, and a depth ieeler, in-- dicated by numeral 22.Suitable means are provided so that when any one of these feelersstrikes an obstruction such as an iceberg, a reef, or an-- other ship,it will close an electric circuit which controls actuating means foroperating the flaps. Preferably the apparatus is so constructed and.arranged that if the starboard antenna hits an obstruction in the pathof the ship it will serve to actuate mechanism which will open the flapson the port side of the vessel, with the resultthat the drag on the portside will cause the vessel to swing around and to one side of the.obstruction, thereby minimizing or averting possible collision.

In the form of the invention shown the antennae 20 each comprise anelongated rod or tube extending forwardly of the ship at a desiredheight, may be just below the Fig. 1, where reference water line. Theseanmounted within tubes 25 and hinged at 26 so that they may be pulledthe way when the ship is being docked. The antennae may be elevated bymeans of a line 21 running to each from the mast 28 and a suitablewinch30.

The depth feeler 22 may be mounted in any waterline, as indicated inLsuita'ble manner on the bow of the ship at 32 and extended downwardlybelow the keel and have its Theplunger is yieldably held extendedby aspring 35 (Fig. 3). The depth feeler maybe made of a flexible metalstrikes an obstruction, will ride ,upinto the socket in order to close a.switch in a control circuit, as will be described later. 7 V,

The means for controlling and actuating the flaps or brakes maybedescribed generally as an leljectro hydraulic means embodying hydraulicmeansffor motivating the flaps and both an electricfand a hydrauliccontrol means therefor.

v Referring now to Fig. 3, the feelers are adapted .tojclos'ejan'electric circuit when they strike an "object, thejelectric circuithaving means for controlling the; b e v neared hydraulic cylinders foreach of the flaps,

hydraulic circuits in. which are actual installation. desirable torecess the flaps and other of the ship in order to stream Referring toFig. 3, each antenna 20 is provided with a groove 36 adapted to actuatea latch pin 31 when they are moved inwardly, the latch pin serving as aswitch to close an electrical circuit 38 including a source ofelectro-motive force 39 and a solenoid 40. The latch pin may be urgedtoward the antenna by a spring (not shown). It will be apparent fromFig. 3 that the antenna on the starboard side of the vessel operates thecircuit 38 including the solenoid 40 on the port side of the vessel, andthat the antenna on the port side of the vessel controls solenoid 40a incircuit 38a on the starboard side. The depth feeler 22, when struck,serves to close a circuit 42 which includes both of the solenoids.

The solenoids control two selector valves 44 respectively. Each of thesevalves is connected by conduit 45 to a supply of hydraulic fluid underpressure. The hydraulic fluid may be maintained under pressure by meansof the pump 46, motor 41, accumulator 48 and automatic pressureresponsive switch 49 in the motorcircuit 50 for closing the circuitthrough the motor when the pressure in the system drops below apredetermined amount.

Each of the selector valves has a conduit 52 leading to the forward endof the hydraulic cylinders 54 which operate the respective flaps on thesame side of the vessel. The cylinders and valves are also provided witha second conduit, 55, to the rearward end of the cylinder. In additionthe valves are each connected to the intake side of the pump by conduits56. The selector valves are normally held in the position shown by meansof a spring 58 operating to maintain the plungers of the solenoidsextended. When in this position communication is established betweenconduits 45 and 52 and conduits 55 and 56 with the result that thepistons in the cylinders 54 are held in their rear position, therebyretaining the flaps in the inward position in which they are shownthrough the medium of the piston rods 58 and levers 59 (Fig. 2), thelatter being keyed to shafts l6 respectively.

When a particular solenoid is actuated, as by the closing of theelectrical circuit therethrough by actuation of the antenna andassociated switch, the selector valve afiected is efiective to establishcommunication between the pressure line 45 and the line 55 leading tothe rearward ends of the hydraulic cylinders 54. When this isaccomplished the pistons in the cylinders are forced forward, moving theflaps into the extended or braking position, as shown by the brokenlines in Fig. 2.

As heretofore explained, should the starboard antenna be struck by anobject, it closes the circuit through the port solenoid 400, which inturn actuates the port selector valve 44 to open the flaps on the portside of the ship. The converse is true if the antenna on the port sideof the ship strikes an object. If the depth feeler 22 strikes anobstruction, circuit 40 is closed and both solenoids are energized withthe result that the flaps or brakes on both sides of the vessel areextended.

The selector valves are also controllable by manually operable meanswhich may be located on the bridge of the ship or at some otherdesirable point. This means for controlling the selector valves 44includes a pair of slave cylinders 60 and SI for each valve, the pistonsof which are mounted on a single piston rod 63 which is connected to thelever 65 of the selector valve. These slave cylinders are connected byconduits 68 and 69 to a pair of master cylinders 10 and I i. This meansincludes a pivotally mounted control lever 14 connected to a piston rod15 having a piston at each end mounted in the respective cylinders 10and II. The slave cylinders and 6| and the master cylinders 10 and H areall a part of a closed hydraulic circuit, so that any movement of themaster pistons produces a corresponding movement in the pistons in theslave cylinders.

With this construction it is possible to selectively operate theselector valves by means of the manually operable levers 14 on thebridge to set the valves for any given length of time in any position.Thus, the apparatus may be operated to open the flaps only a slightdegree and then, by moving the levers to a neutral or intermediateposition, the flaps will be locked in the desired position. In thisconnection it should be pointed out that selector valves 44 are soconstructed that they may be opened selectively to either of twopositions and that intermediate these positions the valves are closed.It is therefore possible to actuate the flaps either on one side of theship or on both sides of the ship by means of the control levers and tooperate them in such a manner that they may be held at any desiredposition, that is, either part-way open or fully open. It is thereforepossible to navigate the ship by this means in the event of damage orinjury to the steering mechanism.

Hydraulic conduits are provided leading to the inner ends of theantennae tubes 26 so that 1the antennae may be forced outwardly intotheir normal position, assuming that either as the result of striking anobject or as a result of their having been retracted for some otherreason, the antennae are in their inward position. Conduits arecontrolled by valve iii in a supply conduit 32. The conduits 80 areconnected to a return line 85 leading to a supply of the fluid 86, thereturn line being controlled by a check valve 81 which is set to open ata pressure in excess of that required to iorce the antennae out intotheir normal position.

In Fig. 4, a modified form of antenna member is shown. In that figure,numeral es indicates the antenna which is pivotally mounted at 9| sothat it may swing to either side. Suitable means (not shown) may beprovided to yieldably resist such pivotal movement of the antenna.Extending rearwardly of the antenna is a terminal rod 92 which isconnected in a control circuit 93, serving to close said circuit if therod is deflected sufficiently to contact either of terminals 94. Thiscircuit 93 would control a solenoid, as previously described inconnection with Fig. 3.

Although the invention has been shown and described with reference to aparticular embodi ment thereof, it is contemplated that various changesand modifications may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for retarding a ship, a braking flap pivotally mountedon a substantially vertical axis at each side of the ship, said flapsbeing normally in a position adjacent and substantially in the plane ofthe side of the ship and being movable to an extended position whereinthey are approximately in a plane at right angles to the longitudinalaxis of the ship, a hydraulic piston and cylinder for each flap andoperatively connected thereto, a supply of hydraulic fluid underpressure, a selector valve for each cylinder, conduit means extendingfrom each end of said cylinder to its respective valve, conduit meansconnecting said valves with said supply of hydraulic fluid, said valvesbeing operable to selectively deliver fluid under pressure to either endof said cylinders, a pair of electrical control circuits, said circuitseach including a solenoid operatively associated with one of saidselector valves, said circuits each including a switch, a feeler elementfor each switch extending beyond the ship and adapted to operate theswitch when the feeler element strikes an object, said feeler elementsbeing mounted to extend forwardly of the ship and respectively onopposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the ship, a third controlcircuit including the solenoids of said pair of electrical controlcircuits and a switch, and a third feeler element for the switch in saidthird circuit, said third feeler element extending forwardly of the shipon the longitudinal axis thereof, said solenoids and said switches being:connected to a source of electro-motive force whereby closing of aswitch closes a circuit through the associated solenoid or solenoids.

2. In apparatus for retarding a ship, a braking flap pivotally mountedon a substantially vertical axis at each side of the ship, said. flapsbeing normally in a position adjacent and substantially in the plane ofthe side of the ship and being movable to an extended position whereinthey are approximately in a plane at right angles to the longitudinalaxis of the ship, a hydraulic piston and cylinder for each flap andoperatively connected thereto, a supply of hydraulic fluid underpressure, a selector valve for each cylinder, conduit means extendingfrom each end of said cylinder to its respective valve, conduit meansconnecting said valves with said supply of hydraulic fluid, said valvesbeing operable to selectively deliver fluid under pressure to either endof said cylinders, a pair of electrical control circuits, said circuitseach including a solenoid operatively associated with one of saidselector valves, said circuits each including a switch, a feeler elementfor each switch extending beyond the ship and adapted to operate theswitch when the feeler element strikes an object, said feeler elementsbeing mounted to extend forwardly of the ship and respectively onopposite sides of the longitudinal axis of-the ship, a third controlcircuit including the solenoids of said pair of electrical controlcircuits and a switch, a third feeler element for the switch in saidthird circuit, said third feeler element extending forwardly of the shipon the longitudinal axis thereof, said solenoids and said switches beingconnected to a source of electromotive force whereby closing of a switchcloses a circuit through the associated solenoid or solenoids, andremote control means for said selector valves comprising a closedhydraulic system including master cylinder and piston means and a slavecylinder and piston means for each selector valve.

SEMEN KRONHAUS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

